NCP finds fault with debt-free scheme for Maharashtra farmers

Armed with numbers provided by the Co-operation Department, Opposition NCP today picked holes in a Maharashtra Government scheme aimed at freeing farmers from clutches of private moneylenders and claimed the amount allocated for it far exceeds the actual debt amount.
The State has approved a little over Rs 171 crore to make farmers free of loans taken from moneylenders, when the actual debt amount is not more than Rs 3.27 crore, the party said in the Legislative Council and claimed the scheme favours the latter more than the agriculturists.
The BJP-Shiv Sena Government had announced a package to free farmers from debts taken from private moneylenders during winter session of the legislature in December. A sum of Rs 171.30 crore was subsequently earmarked in the State budget to free 2,23,157 farmers from clutches of moneylenders.

Neelam Gorhe (Shiv Sena) raised the motion of calling attention and asked the Government to disclose the total number of farmers who have benefited from the scheme and the amount disbursed under it.
Leader of Opposition Dhananjay Munde of NCP, who had collected information under RTI from the Cooperative Commissioner, disclosed the actual figures of borrowers and moneylenders.
"Figures say the total amount that needs to be given to moneylenders against farmers who have a debt of more than Rs 1 lakh each is just Rs 31.37 lakh while the amount that needs to be given for loans taken under Rs 1 lakh is Rs 2,96,24,000. According to figures, only 251 farmers have a debt of less than Rs 1 lakh," Munde claimed.

Munde said the outlay of Rs 171 crore in the Budget is "suspicious" as farmers have not borrowed more than Rs 3.27 crore.

However, the Government maintained the amount has not been yet transferred in the bank accounts of moneylenders and actual number of beneficiaries or sum involved will only be known when this process is completed.
Cooperation Minister Chandrakant Patil said the package is meant only for Vidarbha and Marathwada regions, where maximum farmers have committed suicide.
"The amount under the package has not been transferred in moneylender accounts as yet. The State has decided to complete the process by June 30. Only after that can we state the actual figures."

Munde, however, said the mismatch shows the Government is considering to favour private moneylenders. Sunil Tatkre and Sudhir Tambe (both NCP) also found fault with the debt- free scheme.